The Metropolitan Police Department expects to clear Southern Nevada’s massive backlog of sexual assault kits, including some that went untested for up to three decades, within the next year.

“We have a very aggressive testing schedule, and we’ve been fortunate enough to finally have the money we need to move forward with this process,” Kim Murga said Monday during a panel discussion at the Rape Crisis Center. Murga is the Police Department’s DNA laboratory director.

As of Monday, Murga announced, Metro had collected a total of 8,152 rape kits. About 4,060 of those have been subjected to some form of forensic analysis.

“In a few short years, we’re about 50 percent done with DNA testing,” Murga said, noting that the remaining kits will be tested by spring 2019. That is down from 6,473 untested kits as of December 2014 — the most recent figure available from the Police Department.

Rape kit backlogs, a problem across the country, have been blamed on a lack of training, resources and policies that outline when to test rape kits. But a new law, passed by the Nevada Legislature last year, requires all sexual assault kits to be tested within 120 days of the DNA collection.

The bill also mandated the creation of a Nevada-wide sexual assault kit tracking program, which Murga said must be in place by January 2021. The automated tracking program would allow victims to follow the status of their rape kits as they go through the criminal justice system, starting the moment a victim is seen by a sexual assault nurse examiner.

“So you’ll follow that kit to the forensic laboratory, to the investigator, to the victim advocates, to the prosecutor,” Murga explained.

Among the thousands of untested rape kits that had accumulated in Southern Nevada since 1985 was Nadia Iverson’s. Her murder went unsolved for more than 20 years until her kit was sent for testing in March 2016.

The results revealed in February 2017 that the DNA of former Las Vegas police officer Arthur Lee Sewall Jr., 51, was a match for Iverson’s kit. Sewall has pleaded not guilty to the murder charge and is awaiting trial.

When Sewall was arrested in January, about 5,600 of the kits in Southern Nevada were within Metro’s jurisdiction, Murga said at the time. The Police Department’s laboratory handles all sexual assault kits collected in four counties: Clark, Nye, Lincoln and Esmeralda.

Snow accumulated in the Las Vegas Valley for the first time in more than a decade, with snow falling mostly in the western, northwestern and southern areas. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review Journal) @bizutesfaye

Snow and ice contributed to the closure of Interstate 15 near Primm. Jim Prather/Las Vegas Review-Journal

I-15 traffic diverted at St. Rose Parkway

The Nevada Highway Patrol has closed Interstate 15 in both directions between south Las Vegas and the California state line due to icy road conditions, Monday, Feb. 18, 2019. (Jim Prather/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Ice on roadway shuts down I-15 south of Las Vegas

An overnight snowstorm left an icy roadway, causing the Nevada Highway Patrol to shut down Interstate 15 south of Las Vegas to the California state line. (Jim Prather/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

I-15 closed at St. Rose Parkway

Ice on Interstate 15 caused the Nevada Highway Patrol to close the highway from St. Rose Parkway in south Las Vegas to the California state line on Monday, Feb. 18, 2019. (Jim Prather/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

The Drug Enforcement Administration is launching a new effort in Nevada to combat the opioid epidemic.

North Las Vegas Blvd Robbery 1

Las Vegas police are asking for help finding a man suspected of robbing a business at gunpoint on the morning of Feb. 19, 2019 in the northeast valley. (Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department)

North Las Vegas Blvd Robbery 2

Las Vegas police are asking for help finding a man suspected of robbing a business at gunpoint on the morning of Feb. 19, 2019 in the northeast valley. (Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department)

North Las Vegas robbery at a business

Robbery of a business in the 1600 block of North Main Street in North Las Vegas. If you know the suspects or have seen them before please contact the North Las Vegas Police Department at 702-633-9111 or Crime Stoppers at 702-385-5555.

Burglary at Made In Argentina restaurant

Pablo Rodriguez, owner of the Made in Argentina restaurant on Valley View Boulevard, describes the scene of the burglary that took place at his business on Sunday morning. (Mat Luschek/Review-Journal)

Nevada Highway Patrol vehicle hit on US 95 in Las Vegas

Nevada Highway Patrol trooper Adam Whitmarsh was on a traffic stop on U.S. Highway 95, north of Ann Road, about 7:45 a.m. Saturday, Feb 16, 2019, when a Honda CRV struck the back of the patrol car, causing the car to crash into the stopped vehicle. (Nevada Highway Patrol)

NYE Homicide suspects (1 of 2)

Las Vegas police are asking for help locating three men suspected in a deadly shooting on New Year’s Eve inside a southwest valley home. (Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department)

NYE Homicide suspects (2 of 2)

Las Vegas police are asking for help locating three men suspected in a deadly shooting on New Year’s Eve inside a southwest valley home. (Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department)

Las Vegas police look for masked armed robbery suspect

Las Vegas police are looking for a masked man suspected of an armed robbery Feb. 14 in the west valley. (Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department)

The attorney for Marcel and Patricia Chappuis, operators of a private boarding school at the center of an ongoing abuse investigation, accused the Nye County Sheriff’s Office of harrassing and targeting the couple following a bail hearing Thursday morning.

Home security camera captures man stealing packages

Packages were stolen from outside a Las Vegas home on Feb. 7 and one of them contained chemotherapy drugs for a young cancer patient. (neighbors.ring.com)

The creation of the Southern Nevada Sex Trafficking Multidisciplinary Team.

Several organizations and law enforcement agencies came together to announce the creation of the Southern Nevada Sex Trafficking Multidisciplinary Team. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal @bizutesfaye

LVMPD Addresses January 17th OIS (Short)

Las Vegas Metro Police Assistant Sheriff Brett Zimmerman address members of the press regarding the officer involved shooting that took place on. January 31, 2019, in the vicinity of I-215 and Alta. Suspect Christopher Ashoff was shot, and is in stable condition. (Mat Luschek/Review-Journal)

Las Vegas police address officer-involved shooting on Jan. 31 (Full)

Las Vegas Metro Police Assistant Sheriff Brett Zimmerman gave details on the officer-involved shooting that took place on Jan. 31, 2019, in Summerlin. Suspect Christopher Ashoff was shot and was in stable condition. (Mat Luschek/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Child Abuse Investigation At Northwest Academy

An investigation is currently underway by the Nye County Sheriff's Office at Northwest Academy for child abuse.

Lockdown ends at 2 Summerlin schools after Las Vegas police shooting

A man wanted on “violent felonies” was hospitalized in critical condition after he was shot by Las Vegas police Thursday morning during a standoff in a west valley neighborhood.

Krystal Whipple Appears In Court For The First Time

Krystal Whipple, who is charged in the death of a nail salon manager, appeared Thursday before Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Amy Chelini, who scheduled a status hearing for April 1.

Metropd Addresses Ois From Jan 27 2019 (Short)

Assistant Sheriff Tim Kelly addresses members of the media regarding an officer involved shooting that took place on Jan. 27, 2019. The suspect in the incident was unharmed, but placed under arrest and charged with several crimes. (Mat Luschek/Review-Journal)

Las Vegas police addresses officer-involved shooting

Assistant Sheriff Tim Kelly addresses members of the media regarding an officer-involved shooting that took place on Jan. 27, 2019. The suspect in the incident was unharmed, but placed under arrest and charged with several crimes. (Mat Luschek/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

LVMPD sex crimes bureau Lt .David Valenta speaks to the media about the arrest of Antwon Perkins, the suspect in Thursday’s abduction and assault of a Cadwallader Middle School student who was walking to school. (Katelyn Newberg/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

North Las Vegas police chief discusses officer-involved shooting

North Las Vegas police chief Pamela Ojeda held a press conference Thursday, Jan. 24, regarding an officer-involved shooting that took place on Jan. 21. The incident resulted in the killing of suspect Horacio Ruiz-Rodriguez. (Mat Luschek/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Nye County Sheriff’s Office testing weapon mounted cameras

On Wednesday, January 23, 2019 the Nye County Sheriff’s Office announced the testing and evaluation of Weapon-Mounted Cameras (WMCs) from Viridian Weapon technologies at the Las Vegas Shot Show.

Lt. Ray Spencer gives an update regarding a homicide investigation that occurred in front of a bus stop near Fremont Street and Casino Center, involving a security officer and another male.

Krystal Whipple arrested in Arizona

Krystal Whipple, charged in the killing of a Las Vegas nail salon manager over a $35 manicure, is expected to return to Nevada to face a murder charge.

Alleged Las Vegas casino con man, who was on the run, appears in court

Mark Georgantas -- who entered a plea deal on a charge of stealing from people he met at Las Vegas casinos, but failed to show up for sentencing -- appearing in court after being captured in Utah. (K.M. Cannon/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @KMCannonPhoto

LVMPD Looking For Blue Bucket Bandit - VIDEO

On December 31, 2018 detectives with the LVMPD Northwest Area Command Patrol Investigations Section received a report of the theft of a surveillance camera from the front porch of a residence located in the area of West Lake Mead Boulevard and North Rampart Boulevard. The victim in this case became aware of other residents in the neighborhood who had been the victim of similar crimes.

Las Vegas Metropolitan Briefing - 18th street gang

Las Vegas Metropolitan briefs the media on the recent arrests made regarding the 18th street gang.